Port of Rotterdam to deepen waterway for tanker access

The Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) and the Port of Rotterdam Authority are to deepen the Nieuwe Waterweg and the Botlek, allowing new Panamax and Aframax ships to navigate without any restrictions.

The work will involve a one-and-a-half-metre deepening along a 25-kilometre stretch of waterway between Hoek van Holland, the Benelux Tunnel and the adjoining Botlek port. It is a necessary step which will improve accessibility to the Botlek ports. The deepening will begin in the spring of 2018 and will go on for around six months.

COO at the Port Authority, Ronald Paul said: “To maintain the vitality of port industry in the Botlek, we need to invest in the preservation and renewal of this old port area.”

The deepening will encompass three different contract depths. The depth of the Botlek will go from ≈ 14.5 m (New Amsterdam Water Level (NAP)) to ≈ 15.90 m. Along the Nieuwe Waterweg, the first stretch from Hoek van Holland to Maassluis will be deepened from ≈ 15m to ≈ 16.20m. The second section up to the Benelux Tunnel will have a guaranteed depth of ≈ 16.40m. It used to be ≈ 14.5m.

The additional 20 centimetres are connected to the lower salt content in the Nieuwe Waterweg which means ships need a greater water depth. After the deepening, ships with a draught of 15 metres will be able to sail into the harbour under normal circumstances. Ships with a draught of 14.90 metres can already sail through the new Panama Canal, so New Panamax ships will be able to reach the Botlek without any restrictions.

The dredging work will take place in the same way as regular maintenance dredging in the ports and along the river. There will be no extra disturbance to the surroundings, shipping or the workers at the port. As part of the project, compensation will be offered to affected water boards for precautions against any salinisation that may occur due to the salt water from the North Sea pushing further inland.

For more information visit www.portofrotterdam.com

9th Oct 2017